The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

Photograph by Robert Scheer

Cyber Cafes owner Louis Kim sips coffee while chatting with a friend in Australia.

Coffee shop customers get wired on the Web

Cyber Cafes offer cappuccino, chat and computer access

By Dwana Bain

At Cyber Cafes, an ordinary Joe can grab a cup of coffee, kick back, and make several new friends--without opening his mouth other than to sip his drink.

Cyber Cafes is not your ordinary coffee shop. The cafe is equipped with the latest in Internet technology but adds a social dimension to the sometimes sterile world of computers. "You don't have to have an office environment to learn or teach about computers," said owner Louis Kim.

Whether it's the computers or the cappuccino that draws customers, the combination has become increasingly popular recently. The cyber-cafe trend started in Europe and recently caught on in the United States. Customers can either chat with cyberfriends around the globe or purchase computers and accessories while getting a double latte to go.

Kim said that simply plugging computers into a coffee shop does not make customers happy. He prides himself on providing personal attention and service. Anyone--from high-tech navigators to computer novices--can get hands-on experience working on the equipment.

Customers can get experience with new products before they buy. For example, the cafe has a computer program tailored to public speakers, who can talk into a microphone and see their speech instantly transcribed--complete with a spelling check. Kim also offers troubleshooting on all types of hardware and software. Classes are available in Windows '95, Office '97 and Web site design.

Although Kim emphasizes that Cyber Cafes is useful for more than chatting on the Internet, he doesn't discount the importance of making friends online. Kim owns a chat server that has been responsible for seven marriages.

Customers can choose to chat in one of several languages, including Chinese, Tagalog, Japanese, Korean, French, German, Spanish and English.

Computers come equipped with digital cameras so would-be daters can exchange snapshots. Kim receives an average of 50 photos a day at the cafe.

There are several kinds of coffee and tea to choose from, along with cheesecake and muffins for dessert. Those who don't want a hot drink can order a smoothie or a microbrewery beer.

Kim, a longtime resident of Sunnyvale, has a lifetime of computer experience. He's been tinkering with the devices since his father brought home a refrigerator-sized mainframe when Kim was a boy.

Cyber Cafes is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. For more information call 736-5478 or visit the Web site at http://www.cyb-cafe.com.

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, November 26, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.